The race for a place in the Premier League is hotting up with the Championship reaching the business end of the season in the next few weeks.
Like most divisions across Europe, a whole host of Africans are plying their trade in the Championship and have their targets set on a place in the English top flight next term.
#1 Brentford
They might have lost in the play-offs last season, but Brentford are desperate to avoid that this season by going up automatically.
Defeat in the play-offs is the cruelest way to end the season, but Brentford currently occupy third and will need to be in top form in the last few remaining matches if they want to claw back the gap to Watford in second.
Brentford had lost three on the spin recently, but bounced back to beat Sheffield Wednesday 3-0 and now remain five unbeaten despite drawing their last four matches in all competitions.
Goals have been a problem for them of late, and they are starting to feel the pinch from letting Said Benrahma go to West Ham earlier this season, however, other big names such as Bryan Mbeumo and Tarique Fosu-Mensah have a chance to make a name for themselves by firing Brentford to the Premier League.
#2 Watford
Bouncing straight back to the Premier League is never an easy feat, but that is what Watford are aiming to do after being relegated from the top flight last term.
However, expectations are on course to be matched this season and they’re on the hot seat for the second automatic place behind Norwich City, with seven points currently between them at the play off places.
Senegal’s Ismailia Sarr has certainly helped them to fly high and has netted eight times already this season, and has also helped with four assists in his 28 appearances.
Although with Sarr, other African star players such as Adam Masina, Jeremy Ngakia, Nathaniel Chalobah and Tom Dele-Bashiru, and Nigeria’s William Troost-Ekong are hoping to make the difference.
#3 Swansea City
The race for the title might just be beyond them this season, but Swansea City still have a great chance of promotion through the play-offs if they can put together a strong run of form to end the season.
However, they have been in poor form in recent weeks have slipped away from a title challenge after four defeats in their last five matches, including a 3-0 hammering from fellow promotion hopefuls Bournemouth.
Andre Ayew has remained a big figure at the club with nine goals this season, despite rumours of him moving to PSG in the off season.
#4 Reading
Reading are clinging on to a play-off spot by the skin of their teeth, and now have just one win from their last five matches in the Championship,
African stars of Ovie Ejaria and Michael Olise have been two of Reading’s shining lights this season, but have been able to improve the Royals recent run of bad form and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them move on to new pastures next season if Reading can’t clinch promotion.
Ejaria has been the particular standout, and as well as being one of the players of the season in the Championship this year, he’ll also be a big part of the Nigeria setup for the years to come.
#5 Barnsley
As the form team in the Championship, Barnsley have lost just one of the last five and quickly climbed the table after struggling in the first half of the campaign.
They needed an upturn in fortunes, having made a dreadful start to the season, but much like Sheffield United in the Premier League last season, if they can continue their good form that they should be able to cement their position in the play-offs and return back to the Premier League for the first time in well over a decade.
Premier League Betting
While the race to the Premier League starts to reach boiling, so too does the betting as to who will be promoted or reach the play-offs in the Championship this season.
According to the latest odds at freebets.com, Norwich are the red hot favourites to win the division at 2/5, while Brentford are 4/7 for promotion along with Watford at 4/5.
A whole host of bookmakers are already offering a whole host of free bets and bonuses on the end of the football season, especially for new customers who can look forward to an eventful summer of football at the rescheduled Euro 2020.